Carnitas-Style Pork Shoulder Slow Cooker

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

Fall-apart tender pork with citrus-cinnamon notes, made entirely in the slow cooker for effortless weeknight dinners. This Mexican-inspired slow-cooker recipe (whole30), ready in about 490 minutes, pairs pork shoulder, orange, cinnamon stick for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 380 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a Whole30 week and pairs well with roasted sweet potato or a simple olive-oil salad. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 480 min Serves 6 Mexican cuisine 380 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Place pork shoulder in slow cooker. Zest and slice orange into 1/4-inch rounds, then place over pork.
  2. Step 2: Smush garlic cloves with salt and pepper to form a paste, then rub evenly over pork.
  3. Step 3: Add cinnamon stick, apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 cup water to slow cooker.
  4. Step 4: Cook on LOW for 8 hours until pork pulls apart easily with a fork.
  5. Step 5: Remove pork, discard cinnamon stick, and strain cooking liquid into a saucepan. Simmer 15 minutes until reduced by half and slightly syrupy.
  6. Step 6: Shred pork, pour sauce over top, and serve with extra orange slices.

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